Video Vault
Over the last hundred years, countless funny, satirical, and serious movies and videos, perhaps starting with Charlie Chaplin’s 1925 silent film, The Gold Rush, have included sketches on food. Lucille Ball, in the heyday of TV, created hilarious episodes around food. Morgan Spurlock’s 2004 documentary Super Size Me had McDonald’s reeling. Meanwhile, activists have used videos to lampoon factory farming, the fake fat olestra, and any number of other topics, while industry has used videos to promote and defend their products.
If you want to learn something important or just have a good belly laugh, dip into our arsenal of shorts (some longer movies and other media are listed under Resources). Many of them shed interesting light on our culture.
The National Food Museum does not necessarily endorse the content of these videos.
Bolthouse, one of the two major carrot growers, advertised its baby carrots, a truly healthy food, like Frito-Lay might market its snack foods. How refreshing it was to see commercials that were funny and captivating. While the campaign did not...
Dr. Michael Greger has converted his book How Not to Die into a movie. He recounts his own journey (and his grandmother’s) toward a career in medicine and a vegan diet. Greger concludes from his review of countless research reports...
Notwithstanding safety concerns about the production and degradation of plastic products, this CNBC news segment points out that plastic production has doubled over the past couple of decades. Political efforts to boost oil and gas production makes plastics all the...
The NCSA, built on the pillars of education, mentoring, fellowship and recognition, is made up of individuals across all disciplines who proudly represent the confectionery category. The Association is proud to administer the Candy Hall of Fame, which honors people...
This is your one-stop source for factual information about hunger in countries around the world, from Afghanistan to the United States. For instance, 31 percent of Afghans (compared to 1 percent of people in the USA) experience severe food insecurity,...
Anna Lappé takes on agribusiness, arguing that small, sustainable farms are the way to go. Such farms typically use compost and animal manure instead of chemical fertilizer and rotate crops to build the soil, reduce irrigation, and reduce pest populations....
Plastics are used in every corner of society, from food containers to toys, plastic wrap to automobile parts, and thousands of other products. Plastics come in countless forms and offer huge conveniences, safety, and durability, depending on their use. However,...
Thousands of chemicals end up in our food, either intentionally or unintentionally. The Food and Drug Administration is charged with keeping potentially dangerous substances out of our food. But this news account of a report by the American Academy of...
PFAS, the abbreviation for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, contaminate our food from some pizza boxes, plastic takeout packages, non-stick cookware, and other sources. As long as they are permitted in the food-supply chain, consumers should take measures to reduce their...
The 21st century has brought more and more evidence that chemical contaminants, such as PFAS and BPA, from plastics contaminates our food…and the whole global environment. Such chemicals may cause cancer, mimic hormones, and have other health effects. This brief...
Three-fourths of all antibiotics are used to treat and prevent infections in animals raised in dirty, crowded conditions (and that means almost all chickens, pigs, and cattle). The goal may be worthy, but overuse of antibiotics promotes the proliferation of...
This more detailed look at preventing foodborne illnesses from such bacteria as E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria should help viewers not be part of the several thousand people who die and millions who get sick from bacteria and other microorganisms...
This brief video emphasizes four basic ways to protect against foodborne illnesses: Keep everything clean. Keep animal products separate from other ingredients to prevent cross-contamination. Cook well enough to kill disease-causing bacteria. Chill leftovers quickly after cooking and eating. (U.S....
"Food Safety 101 - The Journey of food safety from farm to table" is a nice overview of food safety, suitable for people 10 to 100. It covers the bases regarding the different types of risk (bacterial, chemical, physical, adulteration),...
This beautifully produced 2013 animation highlights the inhumanity of factory farming and sterility of manufactured foods. The film features Fiona Apple’s cover of "Pure Imagination." The film resonates with current criticisms of ultra-processed foods, but was actually an advertisement, disclosed...
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, but it is also short-lived. In this TED Talk, Marcelo Mena, a professor and former environmental minister in Chile, explains why methane is such a villain and what we need to do to reduce...
Jewish delis were once located primarily in Jewish neighborhoods and served primarily Jews. Though they have largely disappeared from the urban scene, the warmth and hospitality they represented made their way into the broader American experience. This is the iconic...
Plastics are used in every corner of society, from food containers to toys, plastic wrap to automobile parts, and thousands of other products. Plastics come in countless forms and offer huge conveniences, safety, and durability, depending on their use. However,...
Hunger may be more common in many African countries, but hunger still stalks far too many Americans. This video, aired as the covid epidemic was fading away, says that in 2021 10 percent of American households lacked adequate access to...
The Juggling Nutrition Magician Show (4’; FoodPlay Productions)....
Anna Lappé advocates protecting kids from junk-food marketers. (6’; Food MythBusters)...
A typical junk-food ad aimed at children, this one featuring Bart Simpson....
The Digestive System and an animated description of how it works. (Professor Dave Explains, 9’)...
Sen. Cory Booker on being a vegan and the environmental impact of factory-farmed meat....
The Olympic Games represents optimal health and performance, but some food and restaurant sponsors undermine health....
American Museum of Natural History...
Stanford study compared the effect of healthy vegan and omnivore diets in pairs of identical twins (four-part Netflix series; subscription required)...
